Sectional signboard



Fate-rated Apr. 22, 1930 Unirse STATES Partnr orties.

RoGER W. oLivrsTEn, or sAN FnANorsoo, oaLrronNrA, .assreNonl ro rosr'nrt airlinsaii' COMPANY, or SAN rRANcrsoo, cALIroaN'La, A coaroaAfrroN or NEVADA SECTIONAL stammten This invention relates to construction of sheet metal sign boards as used for outdoor advertising, either for the hanging of posters thereon or for direct painting of the signs thereon.

The object of the improvements is to provide a sign board of sectional construction whereby the sections may be set up and painted with the sign matter in the studio and then taken down and again set up in the iield or position in which the sign is iinally wanted, and with the sections all locked firmly together so that'no cracks appear in the sur face, or are likely to form.

The construction also provides for quick erection or removal of steel sign boards as used for hanging posters or painting in place.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a front elevation of part of a large sign board made in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the sign board as seen from the lines 2 2 of Fig. l. Fig. 8 is an enlarged section of a portion of the board as seen from the linesB- of Fig. l. Fig. 4; is a plan view Y of the clam detached from the panel edges, and Fig. 5 s ows a tapered cut nail as'used to lock the clamp in place.

My sign when completely set up comprises a row of vertical steel panels or pans l in edgewise vabutting relation all aligned within a moulding framel 2 secured to horizontally extending beams 3 in turn secured to any suitable support such as the posts 4.

The panelsl have a rearwardly extending flange 5 around the entire edge which embraces the edge of a metal stifi'ening board 6 as shown in Fig. 3. Thus each panel forms a stiii' pan, and they are of a size easily handled by one man.

The stiifening band 6 is formed with a groove 7 in its inner side which cooperates with a plurality of yoke members 8 for locking the sections together in edgewise abutting relation.

In erecting the sign board panels, they are placed one at a time with upper end in a space 9 back of the upper frame moulding, lifted and the lower end dropped into a shallower space in back of the lower moulding as shown in Fig. 2.

When assembled vthey are iirmly drawn together by means of the yokes 8 which are appliedY at as many points along the vertical jointsv of the sections as may be .required ,and particularly adjacent the center beam. v

The yokes are rigid, beingA preferably punched` from quarter inch steel plate,A andkv one leg is provided with a lug v1,0 and the other lwith a. notch ll, the lug 10 fits into the A groove 7 in the bando of one panel, and the notch 11 aligns wit-hptheV groove in the band of the adjacent panel so as to form with it a pair of locking recesses to receive a suitable wedge, such for instance as a cut nail l2 of proper size, which when dropped in position as shown in Fig. 3 and driven tightly in place, will align and draw the sections rmly together without the slightest crack showing on the face ofthe sign.

rlhe Wedges are provided with holes at 13 so that those lying against the center beam 3 may be secured thereto as by a nail 14 and thereby stabilize the panels to prevent vibration due to wind.

To take down a sign board of this construction it is merely necessary to knock out the wedge nails, when the yokes may be removed and the panels raised and canted out of the frame, which is then ready to receive a new set of panels already painted with a new sign.

'Ihe assembled panels present a perfectly smooth fiat surface entirely free from any holes, rivets, nail heads or other features such as usually present on metal faced sign boa-rds to detract from its smooth face.

From the foregoing description it is evident that changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope of my appended claims.

I claim:

l. A sectional sign board comprising a. plu rality of sheet metal panels adapted to abut edgewise to form the body of the sign board, said panels each provided with rearwardly projecting marginal devices, and means engaging said devicesand for drawing same tightly together comprising a yoke adapted to engage adjacent devices of adjacent panels and wedge means for forcing said devices together within said yoke.

2. A sectional sign panel made of sheet metal with a rearwardly extending marginal flange therearound, and a stit'ening band within said flange provided with a groove in its inner face.

3. A sectional sign panel made of sheet metal with a rearwardly extending marginal ange therearound, and a stiifening band within said flange provided with a groove in its inner face, said panel adapted to abuta similar panel to provide adjacent flanges, and a yoke member adapted to engage the bands of such adjacent flanges, and means for retaining said yoke locked to the grooves and thereby locking the panels together.

' 4. A sectional sign board comprising a plurality of sheet metal panels a frame support-ing said panels in edgewise abutting relation, vsaid panels provided with rearwardly extending reinforced abutting margins, a plurality of devices each device straddling the adjacent reinforcements of the margins of two adjacent panels and provided with means for engaging Jche margins and forcing the panels tightly together. f

ROGER W. OLMSTED. 

